BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 171
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Date of Hearing: April 2, 2013
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS
Al Muratsuchi, Chair
AB 171 (Chávez) - As Introduced: January 24, 2013
SUBJECT : Department of Veterans Affairs: consolidation of
services to veterans
SUMMARY : Establishes the California Veterans Services and
Workforce Development Division within the Department of Veterans
Affairs for the purpose of coordinating and administering
veterans assistance programs in the state.
Specifically, this bill :
1)Establishes the California Veterans Services and Workforce
Development Division within the Department of Veterans Affairs
for the purpose of coordinating and administering veterans
assistance programs in the state.
2)Requires the division to coordinate with other state agencies,
including, but not limited to, the California Interagency
Council on Veterans, that provide benefits and assistance to
veterans to ensure that information about veterans assistance
programs and benefits is made available to all state agencies
that serve veterans in the state.
3)Mandates that CalVet administer the programs and services
described in the federal Jobs for Veterans State Grant
Program, including, but not limited to, overseeing the federal
Local Veterans' Employment Representatives Program (LVER), the
Transition Assistance Program (TAP), and the Disabled
Veterans' Outreach Program (DVOP), which are currently
administered by the EDD.
4)Directs the division to work with staff from the EDD to
develop a plan whereby responsibility for the administration
of these programs shall be transferred from the EDD to the
division. The development of the plan shall be completed on or
before May 1, 2014.
5)Mandates that the Division ensure that other state agencies
and officials that are involved in the implementation and
administration of veterans services programs are informed when
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any changes in existing programs are required, or new programs
are established that provide assistance and benefits to
veterans, and require that those agencies and officials report
to the division when those changes occur or new programs are
established.
6)Directs the Division to collaborate with the California
Interagency Council on Veterans to implement any further
change to the delivery of veterans services necessary, as
specified.
7)Requires that administrative and support staff responsible for
the administration of TAP, DVOP, and the LVER shall be
transferred from the EDD to the division.
8)Requires that any costs associated with the implementation of
these transfers shall utilize existing resources of CalVet, as
the operational cost of these programs utilizes funding from
the Jobs for Veterans State Grant program, as prescribed
within the United States Department of Labor.
EXISTING LAW : Establishes the Department of Veterans Affairs
(CalVet). Existing law also establishes the Employment
Development Department (EDD). EDD administers the federal Jobs
for Veterans State Grant Program, and oversees the federal Local
Veterans' Employment Representatives Program (LVER), the
Transition Assistance Program (TAP), and the Disabled Veterans'
Outreach Program (DVOP).
FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown at this time.
COMMENTS : According to the author:
Both our veterans' disability compensation benefits and
employment rates are below the national average, and
significantly lower than other states with large veteran
populations. AB 171 will help increase California's
underperforming veteran's programs.
According to the California Research Bureau (Overview of
Veterans in California:
March 2013):
California has approximately 1.9 million veterans. Of
these, about 185,000 (or 9.7 percent) are women. Almost one
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million are currently over the age of 60 (52.3 percent).
Most live in Southern California counties, and are heavily
clustered in Los Angeles (323,431 in 2012), San Diego
(222,348 in 2012) and Orange counties (132,529 in 2012).
Employment
? In general, male veterans are doing better than either
their civilian counterparts or women veterans. Women
veterans have a mixed picture; those returning from the
most recent conflict do worse than either their civilian
peers or male veterans while women veterans from past
conflicts appear to be on par with civilian women.
Overall, male veterans have a lower unemployment rate than
their civilian male counterparts. In January 2013, male
veterans had an unemployment rate of 7.6 percent compared
to 9.0 percent for their civilian counterparts. Veterans
participate in the employment pool at a higher rate than
their male civilian counterparts. Nearly 80 percent of all
male veterans participate in the employment pool while only
73 percent of civilian men do. However, our young male
veterans, those 18-24, have a higher unemployment rate than
their civilian counterparts: 20.4 percent compared to 16.4
percent.
Thus it is clear that there is persistent trouble with the
employment of younger veterans, particularly younger women
veterans. California has multiple agencies with programs that
serve vets, but at issue here are EDD and CalVet.
EDD's mission is employment for all Californians:
The Employment Development Department enhances California's
economic growth and prosperity by collaboratively
delivering valuable and innovative services to meet the
evolving needs of employers, workers, and job seekers.
CalVet's mission is veteran focused.
The California Department of Veterans Affairs promotes and
delivers benefits to California veterans and their
families.
The argument of the author is that moving the veteran employment
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programs to CalVet puts them in a place where the entire mission
is focused on veterans, rather than at EDD which has a broader
mission. Then the expectation is that, in the new
veteran-focused environment, the programs' performance will
improve.
Related legislation :
AB 1268, Perez, (2013) This bill would establish the Veterans
Workforce Development and Employment Office within the Labor and
Workforce Development Agency. It would transfer the same
programs as are the subject of this bill with the exception of
the TAP to the new office.
AB 748, Gilmore, (2009-10), died in committee, and AB 1931,
Gorell, (2012) died on suspense.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
The American Legion-Department of California
AMVETS- Department of California
California Association of County Veterans Service Officers
California Mental Health Directors Association
Opposition
None on file.
Analysis Prepared by : John Spangler / V. A. / (916) 319-3550